4 Replies - 1448 Views - Last Post: 30 May 2012 - 03:02 PM

Trying to launch program on remote server

Posted 30 May 2012 - 10:39 AM

Hello. First of all I'm new to any kind of server management or network configuration, and the most access I have to the server is FTP access; someone else rents the server and I don't believe he has remote desktop access. I have uploaded an executable program to the server and I want to launch it so it runs on the server autonomously. My question is how can I possibly achieve this?

Thanks in advance.

P.S.
Would it be possible to use a PHP script that runs when the server comes online that launches the program?

Re: Trying to launch program on remote server

A client should never have the ability to just force an exe they uploaded to run on the server. Would you want someone to upload a virus or a hard drive formatter then run it and nuke your drives?

If you only have FTP access then that is all the owner of the server wants you to have. If you were the owner, manager of the server then you would have more access and have the ability to do what you want.

Re: Trying to launch program on remote server

Posted 30 May 2012 - 01:24 PM

I'm guessing that this is on shared hosting. You're not supposed to be able to run executables on shared hosts. You're granted web hosting access and FTP access only.

If you 1) know the physical path of the FTP directory on the disk and 2) the user the website is running under had permissions to read and execute files at that location, then you'd be able to use a web script to run it. If you don't have either of those things, then you shouldn't be trying to run the executable in the first place.

I don't know if this is malicious intent or not, it could just be someone new to shared hosting.